Chart display apparatus



Sept. 12, 1933.

F. GEIGER Filed J n. 23, 1932 CHART DISPLAY APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l J1. A "F 7 155 Wade/"1dr (7612761;

ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 12, 1933. F, GElGER 1,926,526

CHART DI SFLAY APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESSES: IN VEN TOR:

Frederic]: Gaye];

Patented Sept. 12 1933" 1,926,526 p CHART DISPLAY APP RATUS} Frederick GeigeneDrexel Hill, Pa., assignor to a Wall .& 0011s, Philadelphia. Pa;

of Pennsylvania 1 a corporation I Application Marya; 1932. Serial Nb! 588,256 1 t :4 ,12 Claims.

I This invention relates to apparatus useful'for' example to oculists in displaying reading charts incident to testing the eyesight of patients for distance. In connectionwith apparatus of the kind re ferred to, it is an object of myinvention to provide simple and reliable mechanismwher-eby inf dividual reading charts 'may be. selected from'a group; normally concealed within a protective housing for individual exhibition at ajdispl'ay opening or window at the front of such housing. A further object of my invention is to embody with selecting mechanismsuch as aforesaid, a

cancelling means operative, as a new chart is presented for display, the chart previously .displayed is automatically withdrawn from exhibi tion.

trolled so that the oculist making the sight test 7 may rapidly effect interchanges of the charts at Fig. V is. a cross sectional 'view 'o f one -11m Figs. I and III. 1 v .7

. Fig. III is a fragmentary view of the apparatus v with the front wall of its casing removedto show the actuating mechanism for the charts.

' i Fig. IV isaperspective viewi of oneof the' chart holders embodied-in theapparatus."

of the card holders taken as indicated by the arrows Fig. VIis a detail sectional view takenas indicated by the arrows VI-VI in Fig. III showing the cancelling means hereinbeforementioned.

Fig. VII is a fragmentary View in elevation showing the manner of operation of the cancelling means; and i f Jnectionsof the apparatuslf -..Referring more.-in detail to these illustrations,

Fig; VIII is a diagram showing the electric conmy. improved chart display apparatus comprises g'a housing luwhicli enclosesa a multiplicity of charts 11 (of which there are three in the present Another object of my invention is to provide in association with selective mechanism' having; the above recited attributes, electric .means' whereby the apparatus may be remotely-com] instance), together with actuating mechanism'l2 locationof concealment at one side of the casing, to a display'openingl3 'inthe'front wall 14 of said casing. As delineated in Fig. I, the casing 10 is of an upright type adapted to'be supported rtor' moving'the individual charts fron'ma'normal r t on the floor, backed against a room wall; and it may be suitably ornamented, after the manner suggested in the illustratiom to harmonize with the decorations and furnishings "ofthe room in which the apparatus is to be used. An electric 1 light 15 .(Fig II) within a reflector visor 16 at the successively exhibited at thesaid opening. From Figs. II and III it will be notedthat there made, as exemplified in Fig. IV, from sheet metal.

with channel-section sideverticals 18,'a bottom horizontal 19" also of channel section; and a flat section top horizontal 20, the side verticals 18 being extended downwardly at the bottom of. the holder with provision of pendant projections 21 for a purpose later on explained. 1 By virtue of I the described construction; it is'evident that the individualcharts *11 can be readily withdrawn upward -fromthe holders l7, 17a. and 17b and replaced by others, orinterchanged between the holders; as may be desirable from time to time. i

It will be further observed from Figs. II and V III that" the actuatinginechanism 12 comprises triads of parallel arms 22,,22a, '(the'third being i obscured in the drawings) and 23} 23a, and 23b from the outer endsof the respectivepairs of which the chart holders 17; 17a and'l'lb'are pivotally'suspended, the'said groups of arms being cured to thefback oflthe wall 27 of thehousing 10; The parallel: relation of the arms 22, "22a, etc.; and 23,123a, 23h obviously insures'maintefulcrumedon separate pivot bolts 24, 25 let; at i [spaced ,points,'- into a horizontal bracket 26 senanoe of the corresponding chart holders 17,

17b'always in true upright position incident to theirbeing swung downward (as indicated by the arrows in Fig. III) from the position of concealmerit at the lefthand side of the'housing 1 0,: to display position at the opening 13;- The 1nove-- .ment of the chart holdersl'l, 17a,. 17b is limitedin one direction by a feltedbuffer strip 28 fastened by screws'to the back walli27 of the housing 1 0, and in the otherdirection by a' similar feltedbuffer vstop st rip 29 likewise attached to saidrbaclr wall. Incident to swinging, the chart holders 17,

K 17a, and 17b are maintainedin definite separation asa consequence of the engagement of their pendant extensions 21 in individual slots of a horizontal guide 30 affixed to the back wall 27 of the casing immediately belowthe level of the frontal display opening 13. Springs 31, 31a and 31b yieldingly keep the card holders 17, 17c and 17b normally in retracted position with their left hand side edges in engagement with the buffer strip 29, the said springs having their lower ends attached to the supporting arms 22, 22a, etc., and

their upper ends connected to individual screw bolts 32iwhich are adjustable in a -fixed bracket 33 for regulation of the spring tension.

Respectively connected'to angularly-disposed shorter extremities 34, 34a and 34b of the arms 23, 23a and 23b reaching beyond the fulcrum cen- ,f Accordingly, I have devised a cancellingmeans 4O (Figs- II, III, VIand VII) which is automaticallyoperate'd as one chart holder is brought into ter 25 in the opposite direction, are vertical thrust rods 35, 35c and 35b. At their lower ends, these thrust rods 35, 35a and 35b carry the armat'ures 36, 36a and 13622 of individuallyassociated solenoids 37, 37a and 37b which are supported by a fixed bracketBSon the back vwall 2'.7 of the casing 19. Thus, as-the solenoids 3'1, 37d andv 371) are 1 energized, an upward thrust is imparted to the display position to release the holder of a' previously exhibitedchart forjrestoration, under the action of its ,spring.31,-31a er -31b (as thecase cellingimeans 4G includesa latch member 41 which is pivoted at 42 on another bracket 43 secured to the back wall 27; of the housinglO. Asshown in Fig. VI, the latch member 41is formed with hook fingers 44, 44a and 44b having notches adapted to engage lateral studs 45, 451;, etc., on thechart supporting arms 23, 23a and 2317. A pull spring 46 tends to draw the latch member 11 against a fixed stop pine? on the, pivot bracket 43. Incidentto downward. swinging say or. the chart holders' l'2a,the stud'45a, on the corresponding supporting arm 23121 engages the 'inclined end 48 (see Fig. VII) of the finger 44m the latch member 41 with the result that the said latch member is lifted against the action of its spring 43 Now, as a consequence of slight excess movement of the chart holder 16-at this sponding finger 44a of the latch member 41,. so

time (permittedby pre-allocation ofthe bufier strip 28, as shown in Fig. III),the pin a on the arm 23a ofthe chart rm whichis' being brought intodisplay position 'coeperates' with a cam .slop'e 49 rearward of thelnotch in'the correthat the said, latch member is again lifted-this time high enough (as. illustrated in Fig. VIID to positively clear the pin 45 of the supporting ,a1m 23 of 'the' chart 1'7 previously exhibited at the display: opening 13.; Immediately-upon such release of the holder 17' of :the previously displayed chart, thestud 45a of the newly advanced chart "holder 17a, isarrested'by the notch in" the finger 4a of the latch member 41, and thus lockedwhile the released chart holder 17 continues ,in its upwardtravel under the pulloi the-spring 31"until itencounters the buffer stop strip 29., 7

7 To better insure the aforedescrib'ed r action of displayed chart in the manneralready under:

play apparatus, and they therefore yidual iarms independently tulcrumed on a comimon axis to pivotally support the ;charts for swinging-movement "always in upright position;

the cancelling means 40, I provide the prolongations 50, 50a and. 50b of the chart holder supporting arms23, 23aand23b, respectively, with v counterweights 51, 51a and 512). As will be manifest from Fig. III, these counterweights are effective by their momentum at the time of the maximum speedof the v arms 23, 23c and 231), as

they move over the fulcrum center '25- and when the-springs 31, 31a and 311) are aligned substantially with the pivot center, 24 and offer a minimum pull, to insure movement of the chart holders momentarily pastthe center of the display opening l3 as required for positive action of the ,.cancelling means.

The velectric"circuit-for controlling the apparatus may be as illustrated in Fig. VIII, wherein the numerals 52 and 53 indicate supply conducspending holder at the display opening 13, and concurrent release of the holder ofithe-previously stood, In practise, the push buttons 55, 55a and 55b may be located at any distance from the dis constitute means of remote control,

,V /hentheapparatus is to. be used in making tests forlvision the charts 11 may have inscribed upon them numbers of different sizes as illustrated, and the push buttons 55, 55a and 55b placed at a point within convenient reach of the may be) to the concealed position. i Th s canoptometrist, which may, for example, be at a dis-. tance oofrtwenty' feet The mechanism'12 responds instantaneously to electrical actuation; so that interchange of the charts at the display opening 13 of the housing 10 is quickly and noiselessly accomplished, without distracting either the patient or the oculist.

invention is of course not to be considered as limited to the specific use herein described fonthe'ccnvenience of illustration, since it may be readily embodiedin suitable forms-for advertising, signalling and j for other purposes. I also consider myself free to 'vary the number of chart holdersand the associated actuating instrumen talities vin accordance with the dictates or ex igencies of practise, and, in short to make any other changes and modifications comprehended within the scope of the appended claims,

Having thus described my inventionfI claim:-

1. In chart display apparatus,.a housing; a a

multiplicity of charts, within the housing; means anorma llocation of concealment in the housing to a display opening at the front of saidhousing. 2.1 In chart display-apparatus, ahousing; a multiplicity of charts within the housing;; indiandmea'ns enabling selectionbetween the charts and for actuating the arms'to swing selected 1 charts fr m." a" normal location ofconcalmeht 0' presentation, in turn, of the chart in the correin the housing to a display of said housing.

opening at the front 3. In chart display apparatus, a -housing;..a

multiplicity of charts within the, housing; pairs of coaxially fulcrumed parallel arms each coma tween the charts and for actuating the supporting arms to swing selected charts from a normal location of concealment in the housing to a display opening at the front of said housing.

4. In chart display apparatus, a housing; a

multiplicity of charts within thehousing; individual arms supporting the charts for swinging movement whilemaintaining them always in upright position; springs influencing the armsto normally hold the charts in a position of concealment within the'hous'ing; and means enabling selection between the charts, and for actuating the arms in opposition to the springs to swing selected charts from the normal location of concealment toa display opening at the front of the T housing. I

5. In chart display appartus, a housing; a multiplicity of charts concealed withinthe housing; means fulcrumed independently; ona common axis to support the individual charts for move ment always in upright position; 'meansrremote from the housing enabling selection between the charts; and means controlled by the selecting means for actuating the chart supporting means to move selected charts from a normal location of concealment within thehousing to a; display opening at the front of said housing. e V

6. In chart display apparatus, a housing; a multiplicity of charts within the housing; separate holders for thecharts; separate arms, by which the 'holders'are pivotally supported always in upright position; means for selectively actuating the arms to swing thecorresponding charts from a 'normallocation of concealment in the housingto adisplay opening at the front of said housing; and a slottedguide engaging projections of the holders to keep them definitely separated and to stabilize them incident-to movement as aforesaid.

'7. In chart display apparatus, a housing; a multiplicityoi charts within the housing; mechanism whereby the charts may be selectively moved from a normal position of concealment within the housing to a display opening at the front of said housing; means for locking the charts in display position; and means for automatically actuating the locking meanswhen a new chart is brought into display position to release the chart previously displayed. 8. In chart display apparatus, a housingya multiplicity of charts within the housing; separate counterweighted arms pivotally supporting the individual charts; springsoperative upon the arms to keep the charts in a normal position of concealment within the housing; separate selective means for actuating the arms inopp'ositionto their counterweights to swing the, corresponding charts from the normal position of concealment to a display opening at the front mon to and pivotally supporting the charts in dividually for swinging movement always in up I. right position; and means enabling selectionbedisplay position, the said" hook having a cam inclineinward. of 'its'notch, whereby, as a new chart is given slight excess movement under the momentum of its counterweight incident to being 7 brought into display position,the holder of the prevously displayed chart is released to the action of its spring and returned to the normal position of concealment.

9. In chart display apparatus,"a housing; a

multiplicity oicharts within the housing; separate arms pivotally supporting the charts upright; springs influential upon the armsto norr-Q mally maintain the charts in a position ofconcealment within'the housing; thrust. rods cons nected to the arms; individual solenoids directly operative upon the thrust, rods inopp'osition to the spring resistance to move the charts from the normalposition to a display opening at the.

front of the housing; and an electric circuit with remote control means enabling selection between the solenoids.

i '10. In chart display apparatus, a housing; a multiplicity of holders within the housing supporting as many charts with capacity for removal and interchange; means fulcrumed on a commonaxis to sustain the chart holdersfor swinging. movement always in upright position; ,andvmeans whereby the holders/may be selectively-sw'ung to move the charts from-a normal location of concealment in the housing to a display opening at the front of said housing. v

"11. Inchartdisplay apparatus, a housing; a:

multiplicity of charts within the housing; means independently fulcrumed on a common 'axisto supportthe individual charts for swinging movement always in upright position; actuating means for individually swinging'the charts from a normal location of concealment in the housing to a display opening at the front of said housing; and meanswhereby'the actuating means for. the individual chartsmay be selectively controlled at a point remote from the housing.

12. In chart display apparatus a housing; a

multiplicity of charts within the housing; means for individually swinging the charts from a nortrolled at a point remote from the housing.

independently fulcrum'ed on a common axis to support the individual charts forswinging move ment always in upright position; actuating means FREDERICK GEIGER. 

